Fuchsia plant named ‘Kiefudich’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Fuchsia  plant named ‘Kiefudich’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; cherry red and white-colored flowers; and freely and continuous flowering habit.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Fuchsia×hybrida cultivar Kiefudich.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Fuchsia plant, botanically known as Fuchsia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kiefudich’.

The new Fuchsia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Venhuizen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Fuchsia cultivars with an upright and compact plant habit, numerous flowers and attractive flower coloration.

The new Fuchsia originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventor in 1998 of a proprietary selection Fuchsia×hybrida identified as code number 2536-1 HS, not patented. The cultivar Kiefudich was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the resulting progeny of the stated self-pollination in a controlled environment in Venhuizen, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Fuchsia by terminal cuttings at Venhuizen, The Netherlands, since the summer of 1998 has shown that the unique features of this new Fuchsia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Kiefudich has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and daylength, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kiefudich’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kiefudich’ as a new and distinct Fuchsia cultivar:

1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading growth habit.

2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.

3. Cherry red and white-colored flowers.

4. Freely and continuous flowering habit.

Compared to plants of the parent selection, plants of the new Fuchsia are more upright and differ in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Fuchsia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kiewidiv disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,831. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Venhuizen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Fuchsia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Kiewidiv in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Fuchsia were more outwardly spreading than plants of the cultivar Kiewidiv.

2. Plants of the new Fuchsia were not as freely branching as plants of the cultivar Kiewidiv.

3. Plants of the new Fuchsia had darker green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Kiewidiv.

4. Plants of the new Fuchsia and the cultivar Kiewidiv differed in sepal coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Fuchsia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Fuchsia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical potted plant of ‘Kiefudich’.

The photograph at the bottom sheet is a close-up view of typical developing flowers, opened flowers and leaves of ‘Kiefudich’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practice during the summer and early fall in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 21 to 27° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C., and light levels about 5,000 to 9,000 foot-candles. One cutting was planted per 10-cm container and plants were grown for about 13 weeks. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification:

Fuchsia×hybrida cultivar Kiefudich.

Parentage: Self-pollination of a proprietary selection of Fuchsia×hybrida identified as code number 2536-1 HS, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 14 days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 28 days at 21° C. Winter: About 32 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely-branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Upright to outwardly spreading growth habit, relatively compact and freely branching habit; plants become drooping with weight of open flowers; dense and full plants. Freely flowering. Appropriate for 10 to 15-cm containers. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height at flowering.—About 12 cm.

Plant diameter at flowering.—About 16 cm.

Branching habit.—Freely branching; typically five lateral branches develop per plant. Pinching (removal of terminal apex) enhances lateral branch development.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Aspect: Upright to outwardly spreading. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 59C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with minute points; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Petiole length: About 8 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: 144A. Developing leaves, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 147B. Venation, lower surface: 60C. Petiole, upper and lower surfaces: 59D.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single bi-colored axillary flowers. Freely and flowering; potentially two flowers per leaf axil; about two to four open flowers and about four flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—April through October in northern Europe; flowering continuous during this period.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant.

Flower orientation.—Initially upright, then pendulous.

Flower diameter.—About 4.2 cm.

Flower height.—About 4.5 cm.

Flower buds.—Shape: Elongated. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Color: 53B to 53C; towards the apex, 53D.

Petals.—Quantity: Four; imbricate. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape: Fan-shaped. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth and velvety. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 155A. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: More white than 155D; towards base, 58B.

Sepals.—Quantity: Four; fused at base. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Aspect: Flat; reflexed. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth, waxy. Color: When opening, upper surface: 46B. When opening, lower surface: 53C. Fully opened, upper surface: 53B. Fully opened, lower surface: 53C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Aspect: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 59B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Stamen number: Eight per flower. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther diameter: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: 59B. Filament length: About 6 cm. Filament color: Close to 66A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 158B. Pistils: Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length: About 4.5 cm. Style length: About 3.8 cm. Style color: 54B. Stigma shape: Ovate. Stigma color: 36C. Ovary color: 146A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Fuchsia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Fuchsias.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Fuchsia have been observed to tolerate low temperatures of 10° C. and high temperatures of 30° C.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Fuchsia perform have been observed to perform well in the garden and are tolerant to rain and wind. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Fuchsia plant named ‘Kiefudich’, as illustrated and described. 